St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-03
THE new JAIL SITE.
Officials Of st. Paul and Ramsey County
Still Deliberating.
THE CHAMBER TO BE HEARD.
Gen. Andrews Ideas on the Character
of Jail That Is Nest
Needed.

A joint meeting of the county COM
missioners and aldermen appointed to
select a jail site was held at the sheriff S
Office yesterday afternoon. Besides
these gentlemen there were present sew
eral members of the chamber of COM
merce and a number of interested citi-
Zens. Mr.. Cullen was in the chair. Mr..
Nichols. from the chamber of commerce,
said that that body had as yet taken no
action in the premises. The commit
tees should not act too hurriedly.
Mr.. Berkey said that the old Jail
would do for year longer and then
building should be erected that would
last for all time. He advised the board
not to act too hastily. George MitSch
thought it better to delay the matter
year longer. IF we select site at the
present time" said he, I'VE would have
no power to put up building. We are
now engaged putting in four new cells
for femaleS' Mr.. King said that any
proposition to locate the Jail outside OF
q radius of two blocks was ridiculous.
Any of the sites that have been pro-
posed, Within this limit, would answer.
Every year of delay in tins matter
means a loss of money to the county.
Sheriff Richter cOncurred in the re-
marks of Mr.. King and said that the
time had come when immediate action
was necessary. 1T is lnhuman," he
said, Ito crowd from fifty to seventy
five prisoners in twenty-fOur cells"
After further remarks by MeSSrs.
Mitsch, Murray and Daily, motion
that all bids be rejected and the jail
site matter be laid over for period of
six months, was lost, as was also mo-
ton by Mr.. Daily to 60 into executive
session and consider bids. Finally, it
was agreed to delay the matter until
next Tuesday afternoon in order to give
the chamber of commerce directors an
opportunity of expressing their Opln-
ions. Mr.. Berkey extended an invita-
ton to the board to attend the meeting
at the chamber of commerce Monday.
TIE SORT OF JAIL NEEDED.
To the Editor of the Globe.
TO properly locate the proposed new
fail it would seem necessary to consider,
first, what sort of a Jail is to be built.
First-It should accommodate all
prisoners in, the jurisdiction of the
United States courts in this state, both
those waiting trial and cOnvictS. 1t
must, therefore, be in part United
States prison, and larger than an Ordln-
airy county jail.
Secondly-To correspond with the
more respectable jailS which have lately
been and are being constructed in
states and countries abreast with the
times in prison discipline it is abSO-
lutely Indispensable that each prisoner
shall have a separate cell, and there
should be some separate cells large
enough for labor by United States
convicts.
Thirdly-It not only should be thor
oughly fire proof. but Its situation should
be such that it cannot be seriously eX-
posed to fires from surrounding build
ings. This fact, tOgetheFsYith the prob
ability that in the course of twenty
years it will require. enlargement would
warrant the securing of a separate block
for its site. A great fault of most pub
lie buildings is the lack Of sufficient
ground. In such matters penny wise
and pound foolish plan should not be
pursued. ~-
FourthlyA Charles l.. Brace, of New
York. one of the most highly esteemed
and competent of American philanthrO-
pists, truly says that great abuse in
the United States is the county Jail. If
Ramsey county (after waiting so many
years. will cow take pains to secure
model institution, high distinction
can be easily and wOrthily gained. En-
joying. as st. Paul does, the privilege
OF being IUe cdlltdl " lll6 Sldlts Sllt ID
under obligations to make all of her
public buildings on the most approved
plan. We ought all to wish that the
new jail shall be equal in respect to en-
lightened prison discipline to any in the
entire country, and for my part would
not be satisfied to have the location
definitely fixed until those having the
matter in charge shall have visited some
of the best jailS that are to be found in
the United States. &C. ANDREWS.
BEFORE THE CHAMBER.
Below is a copy of the resolution in
troduced before the chamber of CON-
merce last Monday, and referred to the
committee on roads, bridges and parks:
Whereas, A commission of the board of
county commissioners OF Ramsey county,
and of the city council of 81. Paul, is now en-
gagged in the selection Of a suitable site for
county Jail within said city.
Resolved, That ii is the sentiment OF this
chamber that such site should be chosen re-
mote from the new court house, outside of
but not necessarily very far from the bust
ness center of the city, where suitable and
commodious grounds can be obtained for the
erection of county Jail. and in connection
Herewith court rooms for-sthe criminal bust
ness of county and city, thus removing the
nuisance now maintained on WabaSha street,
and the greater one which is 10 follow If
such courts are held in the new court house.